1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intermediate transfer member and an image forming apparatus using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art Known is an intermediate transfer belt for an image forming apparatus, which is produced by using a continuous extrusion molding method advantageous in cost and productivity, which includes at least an electroconductive filler, a thermoplastic resin, and an electroconductive resin incompatible with the thermoplastic resin, and which has a sea-island structure where discontinuous phases formed from the electroconductive resin are present in a continuous phase formed form the thermoplastic resin and the electroconductive filler is dispersed in the continuous phase.
However, the conventional intermediate transfer belt produced by the extrusion method has had many difficulties in ensuring desired electrical properties and desired flame retardancy at the same time. That is, the electroconductive resin added to the intermediate transfer belt for stabilizing its electroconductivity is mostly easily flammable, and there are cases where even if a thermoplastic resin having flame retardancy is used, the resultant intermediate transfer belt does not exhibit sufficient flame retardancy depending on the amount and the dispersion state of the electroconductive resin forming the discontinuous phases. In addition, there has also been a problem that addition of a flame retardant to an intermediate transfer belt elevates cost and involves bleed out of the flame retardant.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2011-186035, 2011-191406, and 2002-202668 disclose respectively a seamless belt, a transfer belt, and an endless belt for an image forming apparatus each of which has a sea-island structure. However, any of these literatures has no description about dispersion of the sea-island structure, and has not yet been able to solve the problem with flame retardancy.